Category: SL Tech

Mesh/Live Volunteer programme ends

Posted on by Inara Pey

Linden Lab has closed the Mesh/Live Volunteer programme and applications from private full sim owners to join the programme will no longer be accepted.

This can be taken as a further sign that the mesh roll-out is progressing, and according to Charlie Linden some 30% of the Main grid is now mesh-enabled, including both the Magnum and Le Tigre Release Candidate channels (Le Tigre was prepped for mesh last week, and the initial mesh project roll-out occurred on the 10th August).

The public mesh sandbox region (SLurl) is still available for use, which includes two adult-rated sims as well as the G-rated sims.

For those wishing to se mesh on the Main grid, or have a play, the “Viewer 3.0.0″ Beta candidate with mesh support can be downloaded here.

With thanks to Opensource Obscure

Mesh on the Main grid – update

Posted on by Inara Pey

Alongside the release of the Beta of “Viewer 3.0“, Linden Lab have confirmed that the following main grid regions are now all mesh-enabled:

  • All regions assigned to the Secondlife RC Mesh channel (presumably those sim that have, to date, been a part of the Mesh/Live Volunteer programme
  • All regions on the Magnum RC channel.

So, if you’re on the Magnum RC channel, want to play with mesh but haven’t been able to – now you can, subject to meeting the upload requirements (having Payment Information On File and completing the upload status tutorial/questionnaire) and possibly the OK from your sim owner.

The “Viewer 3.0.0” Beta candidate with mesh support can be downloaded here.

Get set for Viewer 3.0

Posted on by Inara Pey

It appears that Viewer 3.0 is about to arrive on our doorsteps.

Now, before you all start jumping up and down, it’s not another new version of the Viewer – well, not exactly – nor is it in any way an admission that Viewer 2 has “failed”.

Rather, it is all part of the arrival of mesh across the Main grid and not indicative of any major overhaul of the Viewer.

Opensource Obscure was the first to notice the change, and his digging got the following comment from Oz Linden, “the transition to the version number of 3 points to support the introduction of ‘import of 3D models’” (i.e. mesh).

Interestingly, the version number is on the latest development Viewer (3.0.1 (238085), dated 9th August) which does not support mesh; whereas the latest mesh project Viewer issued earlier the same day retains a 2.8 release number (2.8.2.(238103)).

Speculation is that the new version number will be officially announced at this weekend’s SLCC, ahead of the planned completion of mesh roll-out, which is due at the end of August.

Addendum

At 14:48 PDT, Linden Lab announced a Beta release of “Viewer 3.0.0” with mesh support was available for download and trial.

Radegast: 3D Rendering progresses

Posted on by Inara Pey

The 3D rendering capability I reported on a week ago in Radegast continues to develop.

The rendering window itself has been improved, with the debug panel now OFF by default, giving it a much cleaner appearance. Avatar movement, via the cursor keys (or the movement buttons on the main Radegast window) is smoother, although still not as refined as the Viewer. Right-clicking on scripted-items in the render window now also calls-up any associated menu, or allows you to take direct actions such as sit, take, etc.

Clicking a menu-driven item in the render window displays the associated menu in the main Radegast window

The most eye-catching addition that may be coming, however, is the ability for water reflections to be rendered, as shown in the video below from the Radegast team.

Now, I have to confess, I’ve downloaded the most recent nightly build, and couldn’t get the water reflections to work. This might be simply because the code to do so isn’t as yet in the latest build – I have no idea; but that doesn’t make the video above any less impressive.

There are a few issues around camera movement that could be refined or improved: holding CTRL and moving the mouse to the right – and seeing the camera move to the LEFT relative to its on-screen position, for example, can be a little confusing. But again, this rendering option is still experimental, so there is every chance that if things like this can be refined, they probably will be.

Overall, it’s fascinating to watch these developments within Radegast, and kudos to the team for the progress made so far.

A look at the new V2 log-in screen

Posted on by Inara Pey

As has been widely reported, Linden Lab have updated the Viewer 2 splash / log-in screen with version 2.8.1.

The new screen, available in both Basic and Advanced modes is a completely new, and interactive layout which may well encourage newcomers to SL to explore and take a dip in things – and could well help users who are logging-in specifically to attend an event to get to it from the off, and without having to log-in to home, or somewhere and dig-out a landmark.

The new screen features 5 distinct areas:

  • The Editor’s Choice: twelve images of locations within Second Life
    • Use the left / right arrow buttons below and to the right of the images to page through them
    • Hover the mouse over an image to display further information about it, including an option to set it as your current logging-in point when you click on the log-in button
  • The What’s Hot Now bar which features eight “pages” of four destinations apiece that are proving popular
    • Locations apparently selected on the basis of the number of avatars currently in attendance
    • Page through the list 4 locations at a time using the left /right arrow buttons
    • Hover the mouse over a location for further information and the option to add it as your Start At point when you log-in this time
  • The Destinations bar
    • Multiple pages of destinations in Second Life sorted into categories which can be selected from a drop-down list (see image above)
    • Page through the list 4 locations at a time using the left /right arrow buttons
    • Hover the mouse over a location for further information and the option to add it as your Start At point when you log-in this time

To the right of these are two text areas drawn from the same feeds that server your dashboard at http://www.my.secondlife.com:

  • An Upcoming Events feed which lists the current events listed in your dashboard and which can be paged through using the left / right buttons. Clicking on an event does two things:
    • Displays a pop-up with further information on the event
    • Updates your Start At location to deliver you to the venue when you log-in (a warning that this has happened is also displayed in the pop-up)
  • A Blogs Feed that features all current LL blog entries found on the dasboard, but without any streaming into familiar categories (“Featured News”, “In-world”, etc.). Clicking on a blog title open-up a pop-up window and displays the blog entry in a scrollable format (below).

Overall, the new approach is a nice idea. Were I to pick any issues with it at all, it would be:

  • The lack of any Grid Status display – that there is none is utterly and completely short-sighted; if there are issues in-world, people have the right to know before money or goods are put at risk through asset server errors and suchlike. Yes, it may spoil the nice shiny hue to SL, but not including such a listing and ensuring it is updated ASAP a problem occurs is a pretty glaring omission – as Rodvik, if you’re reading this and given your promise to get better notification of issues and problems out to users, this oversight needs fixing
  • The lack of any info relating to current and 60-day logins is also unfortunate, and one has to wonder at the logic behind removing it.

Overall, and interesting approach lacking a couple of features, but one that may encourage people to start exploring more, and help newcomers to seek out places of interest and potentially avoid getting unpleasantly dumped into one of the many (un)welcome areas within SL.

Update

At SLCC 2011, Brett Linden, Managing Editor at the Lab, reviewed the new log-in screen, commenting that it is currently “version 1” and the Linden Lab would like feedback on it in terms of how people are using it, information displayed, etc. Brett and the Editorial Team can be contacted at editor@lindenlab.com.

Jacek Antonelli announces retirement

Posted on by Inara Pey

Jacek Antonelli, one of the major driving forces behind Imprudence  / Kokua has today announced she is retiring form the Imprudence team. Her announcement in part reads:

After 3 years of serving this project, I will be retiring effective September 1. As often happens in life, the priorities in my life have shifted over time, and it is now time for me to focus on other things.

Obviously, this will be a major transition for the project. But, I will be working for the next month to make it as smooth as possible, so that everything can continue with minimal disruption. At this time, we have not yet decided who, if anyone, will replace me as “benevolent dictator“, or whether there will be some other form of project leadership. Of course, we will keep you guys informed as the details are fleshed out.

My retirement is not an occasion for somberness, but rather for fond reflection on the past, and hope-filled anticipation for the future. I am proud of the work we have done and what we have accomplished so far, and I look forward to the great things that will be accomplished after I am gone. What’s more, I am immensely proud that we have accomplished all this without compromising our principles or our integrity, even when the road was most difficult, and the temptation most pressing.

Imprudence has been a major force in the world of third-party Viewers, and the team, lead by Jacek, have rightly gained themselves a loyal and enthusiastic following. Over the years, Imprudence has often been a pathfinder for new functionality, and/ or has striven to meet the most-needed requirements of users.

It is not entirely clear what will be happening in the future – the team have a month to get things sorted out, and hopefully both Imprudence and the still in-initial-development Kokua will remain with us, and the vision of seeing Imprudence 1.4 stablised and Kokua gorwing into its worthy replacement will be realised over time.

As a former Imprudence user myself, I’ve always appreciated all the work the team has put into the Viewer, and I personally wish Jacek every good wish and every success, both in her virtual and real lives.

Thank you for everything you’ve done, Jacek.